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Magnum Venus Products (MVP, Knoxville, Tenn., U.S.) launches a novel inflatable seal for vacuum bagging closed molding applications. The reusable two-part seal replaces single-use sealant tapes. The new patent-pending seal, called the Secure Vacuum Bag Seal (SVB Seal), was designed to reduce consumable cost and waste, decrease time and labor requirements, and improve part quality and consistency.

The current infusion process, or vacuum bagging, requires sealant tapes, commonly known as tacky tape, to secure plastic bagging around the perimeter of the mold. Tacky tape is a consumable, meaning it can only be used once, and it is labor intensive to apply due to the folds of the bag causing pleating and leading to air leaks. According to MVP, the SVB Seal eliminates pleating and creates an airtight seal with every part. In addition to reducing consumable waste, one SVB Seal can be used to build hundreds of parts before needing to be replaced, resulting in what is said to be significant cost savings for manufacturers.  

The SVB Seal is designed to fit into a groove built into the perimeter of the mold. The setup is the same as the typical vacuum bagging process. Once the luminant is prepared for infusion, the bag is applied to the top of the mold. Instead of applying tacky tape to seal the bag to the perimeter of the mold, the bag is secured into a groove in the mold flange under the first half of the SVB Seal. Once the first half of the seal is in place, the second half of the seal is added and vacuum is pulled on the mold. MVP says the result is an airtight seal and consistent infusion.  

MVP is no stranger to process innovations in closed molding. With the launch of Flex Molding in 2010 and Fast Flow light resin transfer molding (LRTM) in 2020, MVP says it has been modernizing closed mold techniques for decades. Charles Tur, MVP’s closed molding specialist, will be leading live demonstrations every day with the SVB Seal at CAMX in the MVP booth.